MARLBORO, Mass. — Many ‘11s burst onto the scene this past season as either eighth graders or freshmen, and last weekend was their first opportunity to put their skills to the test at The Mass. Hockey boys festival at the New England Sports Center.
With spots for next weekend’s Final 40 on the line, a handful of ‘11s showcased themselves as top prospects to keep an eye on as they rise throughout the pipeline.
I spent Saturday watching the ‘11s, which was the second day of the three-day slate in Marlboro. These are by no means the only players who had a successful weekend at the event. They are simply the ones who impressed me when I watched on Saturday.
The next step for this group is the Final 40, which will be held on Saturday and Sunday in Marlboro. That is where selections for USA Hockey’s Select 15 Camp will be finalized.
We broke down 14 standout '10s from the festival earlier this week. Let’s dive into the '11s who impressed.
Chris Welby
St. Sebastian's, 3/14/2011, F, right shot, 5-11/165
Hometown: Westwood, Mass.
Welby was poised with the puck on his stick and utilized his patience in transition to make things happen. In the early goings of Saturday’s game, he pulled up in the offensive zone before toe-dragging around a defender and firing a shot on net. Jacob Mcdevitt (Wilmington, Mass.) cleaned up the rebound for a goal. Welby was one of the bigger forwards on the ice and used that size to his advantage on the wall.
MASS. FESTIVAL: 14 standout '10s
Deacon Brackett
Mount St. Charles, 5/17/2011, F, left shot, 5-5/104
Hometown: Hingham, Mass.
Brackett scored two goals in Saturday’s game and was one of the best players on the ice. His first goal set the table for Brackett’s game. Flying into the zone with speed, Brackett deposited a puck on net before beating a defender to the rebound and tapping it in. Then, he scored on a breakaway within the opening three minutes of the second half. He was a tenacious forechecker and was simply always making something happen with his feet and immense stick skills.
Theodore Iwasinski
Ludlow High, 1/21/2011, F, left shot, 5-2/112
Hometown: Ludlow, Mass.
Iwasinski had a nose for the net, recording a hat trick. He scored his goals in different ways, first putting in a rebound after crashing the net before finding twine on a pass from Deacon Brackett (Hingham, Mass.). His third goal showcased his quick release, firing a puck into the top corner on a catch-and-shoot from the right dot. His high hockey IQ always positioned him in the right spots for scoring chances.
Jake Reneau
Providence Capitals, 10/16/2011, D, left shot
Hometown: Milford, Mass.
Reneau was smooth throughout Saturday’s game. An excellent skater, Reneau had to escape the opposition under pressure on multiple occasions and did so exceptionally well. And when he did, he had his head up, ready to make a breakout pass. He did a good job on the defensive side of the puck, too, pinning the opposition on the boards while battling for loose pucks.
COACHING NEWS: Ted Donato steps away as Harvard coach | 15 early names to watch to replace Donato
Patrick Taylor
Seacost Performance Academy, 2/1/2011, F, left shot, 5-9/150
Hometown: Salisbury, Mass.
Taylor played a responsible two-way game that created chances for his teammates. He always had his head up and had great vision when distributing pucks up ice and was responsible in his defensive end. His tenacity was evident, too, causing a turnover on the forecheck on one occasion to manufacture a scoring chance. He’s a high-end skater who never stopped moving his feet.
Alexander Bobrov
Boston Junior Eagles, 1/26/2011, D, left shot
Hometown: Milton, Mass.
Bobrov made everyone around him better when he was on the ice. Bobrov slowed the game down to his pace, dictating play with strong breakout passes and effortless skating in his defensive end to put plays into motion. His assist to Carter Watson (Bridgewater, Mass.) was elite. Finding a soft spot at the top of the circles after creeping into the offensive zone from the right point, he received a pass in close quarters before immediately dishing it to his left for a tap-in.
Robert McCann
Mount St. Charles 6/28/2011, F, right shot, 5-8/148
Hometown: Worcester, Mass.
McCann banged in a rebound goal early in the game and was constantly pressuring the high danger zones with the puck. There was one occasion where he dragged a defender on his hip with him while cutting to the net from the left side en route to a scoring chance. He had great speed on the rush, too, and played with a high pace to his game.
READ MORE:Â 20 takeaways from the USHL Phase 1 and Phase 2 Drafts
Drew McElaney
Cape Cod Whalers, 5/4/2011, D, left shot, 5-10/150
Hometown: Hingham, Mass.
McElaney showcased himself as a great skater who wasn’t afraid to join the rush. On one rush, he made a drop pass to a trailing teammate before getting the puck back to create a scoring chance and later barreled his way into the corner for a successful retrieval. He then drove the net after making a breakout pass, flying through the middle of the ice and beating the defenseman to the left post.
Logan Young
Islanders Hockey Club, 2011, F, right shot, 5-5
Hometown: Woburn, Mass.
Young’s second tally of Saturday’s game was the goal of the weekend. Skating down the left side of the ice on an odd-man rush, he batted in a pass out of midair from Lucas Donnelly (Chelmsford, Mass.) into the back of the net. The first glimpse of his elite stick skills was highlighted on his first goal, where he collected a pass along the left side of the net before pulling it to the right post and outlasting the goalie for the score.
Jackson Liao
Shattuck St. Mary's, 1/11/2011, F, right shot, 5-9/143
Hometown: Wellesley, Mass.
Liao was hands-down the best player on the ice on Saturday. He was that good and was an active threat in the offensive zone from the very first shift of the game. After distributing the puck to a pair of teammates for a scoring chance — Maxwell Prudovsky (Newton, Mass.) rang a bullet off the crossbar — Liao later found twine himself on a blistering wrist shot from the high slot. Liao had a serious motor and wouldn’t stop skating. He impacted play in all three zones.
BEHIND THE NUMBERS:Â How many players drafted out of prep make the NHL, AHL?Â
Sam Archibald
Mount St. Charles, 2/2/2011, D, right shot, 6-0/165
Hometown: Canton, Mass.
Archibald showcased great hockey sense with the puck on his stick — maneuvering around a handful of defenders on numerous occasions on his way out of the zone — but also played with a competitive edge that made him hard to play against. He once backchecked into the neutral zone on a quick transition from the opposition, breaking up the play with his physicality to regain possession.
Ryan Pandolfo
Burlington High, 2/18/2011, G, 5-6/140
Hometown: Burlington, Mass.
Pandolfo stayed square to pucks all game and showcased his mobility in one sequence during an odd-man rush. Making a pad save on the initial shot, he then flashed his pad to the left to deny the second-chance opportunity.
